ELET refers to young people aged 18 to 24 who have completed at most a lower secondary education and are not in further education or training. The struggle against early leaving has been a priority for the EU since 2000 as part of the Lisbon Strategy. The objective was to reduce the share of early leavers to 10% by 2020. In 2019, an average of 10.6% of young people (aged 18–24) in the EU-28 were early leavers from education and training (Eurostat, 2019).

According to Eurostat (2019), the overall share of ELET fell in the EU-28 by 1.3% between 2013 and 2018. In this same period the countries involved in STALWARTS decreased their averages, except for Estonia, which increased 1.6% but is still near the EU average of 11.8%. In 2018, Norway already reached a value below the challenge for 2020 (9.9%), having decreased the rate of ELET by 3.8%. Portugal registered a decrease of 7.1%, with an average of 11.8%, in 2018. In the same year, the UK registered an average of 10.7%, decreasing 1.7% in the last 5 years. Italy registered the higher ELET rate (14.5%) in spite of a decrease of 2.3%. These rates justify the efforts developed in the STALWARTS to support the struggle against ELET by means of prevention, intervention and compensation measures (Council of the European Union, 2011) using arts-based pedagogical strategies, as we will see.

The Council of the European Union (2009) adopted the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training–ET 2020–in May 2009. This strategic framework allows member states to cooperate in building best practice. It provides opportunities to gather and disseminate knowledge and seeks to advance national educational policy reforms. The prevention of ELET is based on the lifelong learning approach. It therefore addresses outcomes from early childhood to adult vocational and higher education and is designed to cover learning in all contexts: formal, non-formal and informal.

ET 2020 pursues the following four common EU objectives to:

Funding by the Erasmus+ programme, as provided to STALWARTS, is part of the means to achieve this ambition and these objectives.

In line with the recommendations of the Final Report of the Thematic Working Group on Early School Leaving (European Commission, 2013), the members of the STALWARTS project are aware that: 1) the quality of teaching and the competencies of the teachers are a determining factor in the contribution they can make to reducing ELET, 2) teachers and educators need the skills and abilities to work with other professions and partners to prevent ELET, 3) cooperation is particularly important in second chance education where learners often face multiple problems and require comprehensive support, and 4) cooperation needs to be centered on schools. Taking as a standpoint the benefits of mutual learning between education and care professions, STALWARTS was a cross-sectoral project that involved teams from a university and a school, working in close collaborative partnership within each country and amongst all.

Making the best of their multiple scientific/artistic fields of expertise and areas of professional intervention, the STALWARTS project team used transnational project meetings to discuss how a combination of top down and bottom up reflection processes could inform the project. Based on existing policy documents on ELET, the members of the transnational project group (see photo) asked themselves, how could the STALWARTS partners in a best way contribute to solutions at a practice-based level, meeting the recommendations from a UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 2014) and EU policy. The members studied policy documents valid for the ELET group and sought to encompass practice in line with various recommendations.

Therefore, the STALWARTS theoretical and methodological approach is based on UNCRC principles that encourage teachers and therapists to investigate the impact of sensory, relational and participatory aspects of music and the other arts. Project objectives aimed to create an articulated, practical and European response to the needs identified. In terms of the recovery from trauma by means of relational education with the arts the response includes the reengagement of young people in education within safe environments. Here they can develop as members of a group and have opportunities to (re)construct hopeful views of themselves in the present and with a view to their future education and employment.

By relating to these assumptions and intentions, the following sections focus on policy (UNCRC and relating to ELET), practice (at the institutional level including user involvement through Participatory Action Research [PAR] and the development of university modules), and theory including trauma-informed learning and attachment theory.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (2014) was adopted by the UN in 1989. Most countries in the world have ratified the convention, apart from USA. UNCRC recognises that children not only are subjects of protection but also holders of civil and political rights. UNCRC defines a child as anyone below the age of 18 and affirms the child as fully covered by human rights. It contains 54 articles of children’s rights that can be divided into three general categories, sometimes known as the three Ps (Hart, 1992):

The following practical dimensions of the UNCRC are relevant for STALWARTS. They invite us to acknowledge that all children and adolescents are meaning-makers with the rights to be heard and to participate in society, regardless of factors such as gender, socio-political status, health, economy or geography. As such, the UNCRC invites discussion of ethical issues such as social inequality, potential asymmetrical power-relations between the child and adults in educational institutions and poverty. The UNCRC also stimulates reflection on when and how music and the arts are relevant as media in education.

However, research shows that there are barriers towards participation (Macedo & Araújo, 2014). Including children as significant meaning-bearers seems to be one of the most difficult tasks in modern education society (Krüger, 2019, 2020). Professionals might fear damaging the health and care of the child and/or lacking communication competences and structures for facilitating participation (Munro, 2011).

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a research paradigm within the social sciences which emphasises collaborative participation of trained researchers as well as local communities in producing knowledge directly relevant to the stakeholder community, leading to improvement in their life conditions. PAR is an inspiration for collecting and analysing data and the ways in which people engage in the theoretical-empirical work (Coghlan & Brydon-Miller, 2014). Regarding STALWARTS, PAR had the potential to include teachers’ and children’s views in resourceful ways, using a range of methods such as drama, poetry, stories, music and visual arts (Pinter & Zandian, 2015; Springgay, Irwin, & Kind, 2008). The contemporary music therapy and education literature supports the use of participatory, collaborative and strengths-based approaches used in the STALWARTS project (Stige & Aarø, 2012). Within community music therapy, a participatory approach acknowledges a willingness to listen to all voices in group processes, and to engage participants in a collaborative process of meaning-making. In this fashion, professionals and students

This co-intentionality aims to promote social change by collaborating with people in the community and providing access to resources and opportunities (Macedo & Araújo, 2014) for musical engagement (Rolvsjord, 2010).

From an Estonian perspective, STALWARTS brought to the inclusive partner, Randvere School, the international expertise of implementing music/arts in classroom. The project was embodied in mutual learning between trainers-researchers (based at Tallinn University), and teachers and students. The implementation of music was aided by the musical instrument box in the classroom, which was assembled for teachers. Through training, practice and the reflection of their experiences, teachers acquired the courage and skills to implement arts in a targeted way. Analysis of teachers’ experiences revealed an importance of teacher’s own attitudes towards the arts and three categories of functions of arts: inclusion of children in learning and school, developing children’s general competencies, and supporting teachers’ teaching strategies (Rüütel, Luik, & Ratnik, 2020).

From an Italian point of view, teachers of the partner school, Istituto Comprensivo Granarolo dell’ Emilia (ICGE), attended the modules at the University of Bologna organised within the project’s framework, experimented with the musical activities proposed in the classrooms with the children, and finally produced small classroom-based enquiries, informed by neuroscientific knowledge in the first year and on the classroom activities in the second. ICGE teachers worked in collaboration with the Comune di Prato (Municipality of Prato, one of the project’s associate partners) representing schools in the area around Prato in Tuscany. Furthermore, students attended the university modules led by musicians, music teachers and educators who implemented educational pathways or small-scale enquiries based on the use of music to support wellbeing and relational health in inclusive contexts (Addessi, 2019). The modules also involved the Children’s Orchestra Quattrocanti of Palermo, another associate partner in STALWARTS and an organisation with social and inclusive commitments working in the neighborhood of Palermo with the highest percentage of immigration.

From a Norwegian perspective, the STALWARTS partner, Hyssingen Production School, developed activities where the goal was to learn from the students and teachers. As part of the project, a set of qualitative enquiries were conducted to learn from the activities carried out at the school. Researchers and creative therapists from the University of Bergen participated in four music workshops together with students and teachers at Hyssingen. By observing the activity and discussing with both teachers and students, the issues that were part of the shared reflections can be seen in relation to Key Competences of Lifelong Learning (Council Recommendation, 22 May 2018).

From a Portuguese point of view, there was a joint experience among educators and researchers (at the University of Porto) in the construction of practice-based enquiries at the community-based school, Escola de Segunda Oportunidade de Matosinhos (ESOM) a second chance school that has a focus on Art as experience. ¹ The performative character of learning seems to lead to greater school engagement, self-confidence and esteem (Macedo, Santos, & Araújo, 2018; Macedo et al., 2017). The research process started with long-lasting participant observation. Together an action plan was defined that took into account the school concerns and the professionals’ concerns about the real students in a real educational setting (Senge & Scharmer, 2006). The team reflected upon observation of students and schoolwork, to define specific objectives for students, professionals and research. A set of classroom-based enquiries embodied the experience and reflection (Heron & Reason, 2006), including the enquiries developed by Master’s students from two curricular units on Educational Sciences, some of whom acted as co-researchers.

From a UK perspective, enquiries developed as a result of undertaking the modules developed at the University of the West of England, Bristol by educators at the partner school, Novalis Trust, that involved a range of age groups and different creative applications. The projects were typically neuroscience-informed in design and evaluation. They included initiatives as diverse as individual music sessions to strengthen school engagement and attendance, a play scheme for younger students and the use of yoga for staff and students together with family dyadic work involving trauma art and narrative therapy.

Each of the five university partners developed two university modules for continuing education related to ELET. The modules provided increased competence for teachers, musicians, therapists and other professionals who work with children and young people in contexts such as school and alternative learning organisations, child welfare, criminal justice and mental health. The modules included teaching topics for different groups in fields such as: music therapy theory and research, the neuroscience of music, music improvisation and creative composition, arts and dance education, music and inclusion, psychology, medicine, science theory and human rights, and educational and sociological approaches with relevance to ELET.

Emphasis was given to interdisciplinary discussions with the possibility of transferring competence to child welfare, child welfare pedagogy and social work. The modules provided experience and reflection on theory, ethics, law, practice and the understanding of social welfare systems. The modules, approved at the Master’s level, were influenced by the students in the following way.

Trauma-informed learning: Several students emphasised the importance of a safe learning environment. As many come from difficult backgrounds, the school environment, staff, localities and resources provide the learner with stability and continuity towards wellbeing as a right.

Music and identity: Music has changed drastically during the last decades, and adults using music in ELET prevention need to be knowledgeable in themes related to music and identity. This is especially important in relation to genres such as Hip Hop (Guerra, 2017), EDM, black metal and K-pop.

Music and emotion regulation: A special factor in this field of study and practices is the relationship between emotions and music. In the setting of music therapy, as well in other creative practices, the analysis of emerged emotions needs to be integrated in a perspective that considers music as an element co-created by the partners in the creative relationship (Bunt & Pavlicevic, 2001).

Inclusive education: Within the Europe 2020 Strategic Framework, inclusive education is the fundamental tool to overcome handicaps, disadvantages and marginalisation, to guarantee equity and promote the democratic principles of social cohesion, active citizenship and intercultural dialogue (Canevaro et al., 2011).

Ethics: The students gave valuable input on how to improve the student-teacher relationship. This includes themes such as power relations, relation development, students’ sense of ownership, etc. One of the themes highlighted was the use of the term vulnerable young people. Some students were critical of how the term was used in the STALWARTS context, and they proposed alternatives such as competent young or resourceful young people.

Creative arts therapies and related therapeutic and educational approaches in the STALWARTS project involve not only the use of language, but also non-verbal and pre-verbal approaches through self-expression such as music, dance or painting. For learners, non- and pre-verbal means of communication are an important part of any therapeutic and educational practice because participants do not always have the words and/or the will to convey feelings and experiences. It gives the child a second, alternative method and channel of communication (Rubin, 2005).

From a historical perspective, the human species has always included practices that provide healthy wellbeing (Habibi & Damasio, 2014), such as holding each other, engaging in dance, song, image creation, and storytelling, and sharing celebrations and family rituals. This is confirmed by Perry (2008) who presented a neurodevelopmental perspective demonstrating how sensory-based experiences in early childhood are connected to how children enhance secure attachment, affiliation with others, empathy and self-regulation. A foundational basis for learning is safety and relation-building to support persons and role models. From attachment theory we can learn that non-verbal communication is our most basic form of communication and it is how caregiver and infant initially connect in those first years of life (Schore, 2003). Further, the field of attachment theory accepts that what happens early in life in terms of relationships impacts brain development and is essential to secure attachment (van der Kolk, 2014). In this perspective, neuroplasticity (or brain plasticity), is the ability of the brain to renew and, in some cases, rewire itself to compensate for deficits or damage. Brain plasticity is generally more accessible early in life, and supports the development of appropriate affect regulation, interpersonal skills, and cognition. In a relevant fashion for our purposes, it is worth noting that

Wellbeing in school can be considered a context-sensitive concept that reflects the student's experience of feeling included, and the degree of adaptation the school environment is willing to facilitate for the pupil (Huebner et al., 2014). Consequently, school wellbeing includes the quality of student feelings such as joy and satisfaction, as well as experiences of opportunities, growth, development and social relations.

Following up on the previous theme, executive functions (EF) involve control processes such as goal-oriented planning, flexible strategy generation, sustaining set maintenance, self-monitoring, and inhibition. EF skills support learners to update ideas, shift between ideas, and inhibit irrelevant or stale ones. EF skills support a human being’s organisation, creation of goals, focus on goal-oriented behaviors, judgement of importance and priorities, and achievement of steps leading to a resolution (Dawson & Guare, 2010). EF skills take into account generation of multiple novel solutions to achieve goals or solve problems and that creativity emerges from the interface between cognition and emotions (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007). The EFs that support creativity include updating, shifting, and inhibition.

Updating can be described as a mental process of monitoring and revising what is done while completing a task. One decides to discard or replace obsolete information with more relevant one. This process takes information from working memory to support the individual in focusing on a given goal. Without updating, people start many tasks without completing them, or lose their focus while they are working. This sounds important to bringing creative ideas to fruition (Benedek et al., 2014).

Shifting involves switching between tasks, and controls what some people call multi-tasking. However, our brains cannot do more than one activity at once. Rather, they can shift back and forth between activities, albeit quickly. In addition to this, shifting involves some prioritisation as the brain disengages with tasks that are no longer relevant (Benedek et al., 2014).

Inhibition may foster creativity when creativity is looked at through divergent thinking tasks. Radel et al. (2015) found that if sense of inhibition is short before a task that involves creativity, the number of novel or creative ideas can increase. Some research suggests that a lack of inhibition could result in more creativity while it is also suggested that too little inhibition may make it difficult to stay focused on the goal (Benedek et al., 2014).

Integration of arts into leaning offers students more opportunities for higher-level thinking and allows them to process and demonstrate learning in creative ways (Green, Trundle, & Shaheen, 2018). The connection between the EFs and learning is followed up in what has been labelled trauma-informed learning, and we will return to the connection between creativity and learning in the following sections.